Venting Gastrostomy at Home for Symptomatic Management of Bowel Obstruction in Advanced/Recurrent Ovarian Malignancy: A Case Series

Malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) frequently defines the trajectory of end-stage ovarian cancer and results in severe physical and psychological distress in patients and their caregivers. Venting gastrostomy (VG) is an alternative to both prolonged medical therapy with nasogastric intubation and int...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of palliative medicine Vol. 18; no. 8; p. 722
Main Authors DeEulis, Timothy G, Yennurajalingam, Sriram
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.08.2015
Subjects
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Female
Gastrostomy - methods
Humans
Intestinal Obstruction - etiology
Intestinal Obstruction - therapy
Middle Aged
Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
Neoplasm Staging
Ovarian Neoplasms - complications
Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology
Palliative Care - methods
Retrospective Studies
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) frequently defines the trajectory of end-stage ovarian cancer and results in severe physical and psychological distress in patients and their caregivers. Venting gastrostomy (VG) is an alternative to both prolonged medical therapy with nasogastric intubation and intestinal bypass/diversion for refractory MBO. Limited published data from large academic research centers support use of VG in patients with advanced ovarian cancer and MBO. In this case series, we describe supportive care outcomes in ovarian cancer patients with MBO receiving the effects of VG in a community setting. Six cases of advanced ovarian cancer involving MBO were evaluated for VG from July 2009 through February 2012. Five of six patients were managed with VG. Our experience suggests that VG may be beneficial in controlling nausea and vomiting in ovarian cancer patients with MBO and that VG placement with concurrent evacuation of large-volume ascites was associated with minimal complications. Future prospective studies to evaluate the benefits of VG are warranted.
ISSN:1557-7740
DOI:10.1089/jpm.2014.0355